The Outsiders

The Outsiders: Chapter Twenty-Six

Soum Menjivar

Holding Ocmjai in my arms, I watched Khristopher and Sjal go at it.

            "How do we know you aren't with Ptomatteo?!" Sjal yelled, pointing an accusatory finger Khristopher's way.

            Khristopher gasped with a humorless laugh. Taking Sjal by the collar — even though he was a head shorter than Sjal — Khristopher glared at the Alpha.

             "That man means nothing to me. He stole my mate's soul, he abused my mother, he was despicable."

             Sjal sneered at Khristopher as his breathing grew ridged. The desperation in Khristopher's voice was jarring compared to his usual coldness. As Sjal and Khristopher argued, Ocmjai played with my hands as I stared at the two. Though I would usually want to in, I knew if it ever got violent, I could only sit back and watch. Sjal was a powerful Alpha — training to protect his pack for decades on end. Khristopher was sort of scary, well, very scary with enough power to destroy a small town. Holding Ocmjai in my arms, I only tensely watched.

             "Papa's scary," Ocmjai whispered nonchalantly, bending my pointer finger.

             "Very."

              A loud growl brought my gaze over the two, finding Sjal hovering over Khristopher in his wolf form. Sbjal groaned, yelling at their brother as they tried pushing go him off of Khristopher. Knocking Sbjal away, Sjal growled as his drool fell over Khristopher. With a small "yuck," Khristopher kicked the wolf away from him, rising from the ground as he dusted his cloak.

            "I'm your ally, you blubbering fool," Khristopher said, wiping the spit from his face.

            "We haven't got the time for any of this nonsense! Ptomatteo is still out there, looking for me and my kin. If they destroyed your Packgrounds, what will stop them from destroying your neighboring packs or exposing themselves to the humans?"

            Sbjal nodded, holding Sjal by the fur as the wolf thrashed.

            "We don't have any defenders, how will we battle an entire Rogue and Vampire army when we don't even have food?" Said Sbjal, solemnly looking towards the crowd.

            "The Snatchers will just destroy the rest of us," a young Werewolf said, cleaning their wound.

"Not to mention how cynical Pttomateo is. Goddess knows his true plans," another said, coughing blood.

"But there is one thing we have," Said Seem, her voice uncharacteristicly hollow.

Rising from her haunches, Seem's dress — stained with blood and mud — draped itself over the scorched foliage. Her face was pallid and black as she sneered towards the horizon. Though tears still fell from her eyes, the darkness that loomed around her was louder than any sob. With Jafeem, Ocmeemor, and Sboem dead, she was the heir to the Jiocm Pack, crowing her the Alpha before she met her mate. Walking towards Sjal and Sbjal, she wiped the last tear to ever fall from her eye.

"Our Mothers left us with the pack, but they didn't leave us alone. The Ojad Pack of New Wailersburg, The Jalsh Pack of The Sonani Provence, The Ocms Pack of North Leon: Our allies will fight with us, not only to avenge our pack, but to protect their own."